Liverpool identify Yan Diomande as Mohamed Salah's successor after Jacquet deal agreed

Liverpool are targeting RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande as their second summer signing, with the 19-year-old Ivorian identified as the long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, who left Anfield at the end of the 2024-25 season. The move would follow the club’s already-agreed £60m deal to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, confirmed on February 2.

Arlne Slot’s first full season in charge ended with the Premier League title secured but little else to celebrate. Liverpool failed to reach any domestic cup finals and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, before scraping fifth place — enough to qualify for next season’s competition by the narrowest of margins.

Jacquet, 20, has continued to play for Rennes since the agreement was struck and is expected to link up with his new teammates this summer after recovering from shoulder surgery. He is anticipated to be fully fit for pre-season preparations.

Attention is now turning to the forward line, where Salah’s absence leaves a significant gap. Diomande has emerged as a leading candidate, with reports placing him on Liverpool’s shortlist. Leipzig boss Ole Werner has described the teenager as “unstoppable”, and the numbers behind his debut Bundesliga campaign support that assessment: 13 goals and nine assists across all competitions since joining from Leganes in 2025, earning him the Bundesliga’s Rookie of the Season award.

Leipzig paid just over £17m for Diomande less than 12 months ago, but a reported release clause in his contract could push his transfer fee to approximately £86m.

His appeal to Liverpool extends beyond raw output. With Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha already competing for forward positions, Diomande’s ability to operate on either flank adds tactical flexibility that Slot would value. He primarily plays on the left but is equally effective from the right, meaning he could shift across to accommodate different attacking combinations — including a potential Isak-Ekitike partnership — without disrupting Ngumoha’s development.